August 2013 Natural Cleaning Tips from SCR

Basic Vinegar Clean and Shine
Antibacterial Formula

Use this solution as you would any other store-bought antibacterial cleaner. It’s safe and saves a bundle!

• 1 cup white vinegar 
• 1 cup water
• Five drops of liquid soap

Add mixture to a spray bottle and use for cleaning kitchen and bathroom surfaces such as appliances, mirrors, stainless steel sinks, laminate counter tops and tile. You can add a tablespoon of coarse salt directly on your sponge to act as an abrasive when using this formula on kitchen and bathroom sink fixtures. Vinegar can be irritating to the skin, so please use gloves. 

Important note about special counter surfaces such as granite: please do not use this mixture on stone surfaces, as acids can etch and damage the stone. Follow your particular manufacturer’s cleaning instructions.

How to Remove Permanent Marker... It’s Not Permanent - by Jessica

Recently, my son found his way to the only permanent marker yet to be banished from our home.

Upon finding said marker, he feverishly decorated my kitchen and himself.

After weeks of tweeting, googling and testing products, I have ultimately gotten the marker out of everything. AND due to his efforts, I now have a nice little list of how to get permanent marker out of pretty much anything in your home.

From clothing and pretty much everything else: hand soap

and if that doesn’t work…

From painted walls: toothpaste

From carpet: white vinegar, pour on area and cover with a towel, gently blot with towel, do not rub (courtesy of @stayathomebabe)

All-Natural Home made scouring powder!

Ingredients:
2 parts baking soda
1 part salt
1 part borax powder

To Make:
Pour ingredients into jar or bowl.
Mix or stir until well mixed.
If you want to make a shaker, put in a large jar and poke some holes in the top (carefully) with a sharp serrated knife.

To Use:
Lightly wet surface with water or undiluted white vinegar (for really bad messes)
Sprinkle powder on and let sit 5 minutes
Scrub with sturdy brush until clean
Rinse with water or vinegar (for really bad messes) 

August 2013 NQF Tips from SCR

National Quality Framework

Quality Area 1.2: Educators and co-ordinators are focused, active and reflective in designing and delivering the program for each child.

A key word here is reflective! Do you reflect on your practices, your beliefs, your philosophy, your teaching methods, your environment and your relationships just to name a few!

Working collaboratively with co-Educators is an important part of the NQS and it relay assists you as an Educator and team mate.

Make the time to reflect each week and make sure this is documented. Also make some time for group collaboration as part of staff meetings.

We sometimes get stuck in our way of doing things so by engaging all those around you can ensure you are creating a wonderful space for children to grow and learn.

We all have different strengths – use the people around you to help make your program the best it can be!

 

July 2013 Whole Food Recipes from SCR

Fresh Tomato Sauce

Get rid of the tommy sauce people and make your own!!
 
The best flavoured tomato sauces are generally made from well-ripened, organic tomatoes, preferably roma. They can be peeled and seeded first, although this is not absolutely essential. The keys to developing a deeply flavoured sauce are a good length of time to saute the onion and herbs, using well-ripened toms and a long, slow reduction time. Canned tomatoes can be used to make a good sauce, particularly in Winter but when tomatoes are in season fresh ones make a far superior sauce.
 
Makes 2-3 cups
10 large well-ripened roma tomatoes
Olive oil for frying
1 onion
1-2 garlic gloves, crushed
7-10 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
1 sprig fresh oregano (optional)
2-3 teaspoons apple juice concentrate (or to taste)
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

If using fresh tomatoes, cut an X at the bottom of each one, to pierce the skin. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Put 2-3 tomatoes at a time in the water for 15-20 seconds. Remove and allow to cool just a little. Using a sharp knife, peel off the skin. Cut tomatoes into quarters – if you would prefer to remove the seeds, simply remove them with your fingers, into a bowl, and then dice the flesh into another. Put all skins and seeds into one bowl (this is later squeezed, or put through a sieve to extract all remaining liquid. Some tomatoes will have a lot of liquid, others virtually none.) If retaining seeds, simply cut the tomato quarters, dice and add to a bowl.

Heat 1 tbls of olive oil in a frying pan. Add onion and saute for 5 mins over a very low heat, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and continue to cook for a further 5 mins. Add all the other ingredients (with 2 teaspoons of apple juice concentrate to start). If using fresh tomatoes include all the liquid squeezed from the tomato skins and seeds, cover with a lid and simmer slowly for 30 to 40mins. If using canned...

Pesto (Gluten Free)

To make a good pesto you need good ingredients. It is important to buy fresh parmesan cheese and fresh garlic, and the olive oil you use should be the absolutely best quality – unrefined and unfiltered.

Makes approx. 1 cup

2 handfuls fresh basil leaves
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup pine nuts
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/3 cup olive oil

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well incorporated. Try not to blend for too long; it should be chunky, not smooth, homogeneous blend.
Pesto will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks, and can be used in so many wonderful ways – dolloped on top of minestrone soup, spread on toast, or as a topping for a quick pasta meal.

Source: Wholefood by Jude Blereau

Basic Muesli (Wheat free)

Makes 7 cups

You will need:
4 cups rolled (flaked) grain (barley, oats, rice, rye or spelt)
½ cup hulled sunflower seeds
½ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
½ cup sesame seeds
1 cup roughly chopped almonds
1 cup chopped dried fruit
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Fresh fruit, to serve
Plain yoghurt, to serve

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and serve with fruit and yoghurt.

Variations:
• Add roasted seeds and nuts (such as walnuts, hazelnuts and macadamia nuts).
• Store the muesli with a vanilla bean for a subtle vanilla flavour.
• Add flaxseed.
• Add ½ cup flaked coconut, preferably fresh. 

Source: Wholefood by Jude Blereau 

July 2013 Green Tips from SCR

RECYCLE GLASS!!

Recycled glass reduces related air pollution by 20 percent and related water pollution by 50 percent. If it isn't recycled it can take a million years to decompose.


CHANGE YOUR LIGHT... 

If every household in the Country replaced one regular light bulb with one of those new compact fluorescent bulbs, the pollution reduction would be equivalent to removing close to one million cars from the road. There are now so many to choose from so get to your local shop and make the switch!
 
Don't like the colour of light? Use these bulbs for closets, laundry rooms and other places where it won't irk you as much.

July 2013 Natural Cleaning Tips from SCR

The Wonder of Baking Soda!

Baking soda can be used to scrub surfaces in much the same way as commercial non-abrasive cleansers. Baking soda is great as a deodorizer.

Place a box in the refrigerator and freezer to absorb odours. Put it anywhere you need deodorizing action. It can be used in rubbish bins, the laundry, and even a teenage boys super smelly sneakers!!

Baking soda is actually one of the most versatile cleaners on the planet.

Every step we take no matter how small helps to save our planet!

Basic Air Freshener Formula

There are so many reasons to give up commercial aerosol room sprays and make your own air freshener spray!

Chlorofluorocarbons are harmful to the planet, and aerosolized chemicals should never be inhaled, yet that is exactly what we do when we spray aerosol air freshener!

As a safe, non-toxic alternative, you can make your own air freshener using baking soda as the base, because it is a natural deodorizer.

You will need:

Baking Soda
Warm water
Lemon juice or your favourite essential oil
small spray bottle

Dissolve 1/8 cup baking soda and 2 cups of warm water in the spray bottle, and shake well to dissolve. Then add several drops of your favorite essential oil. If you don't have essential oil on hand, use 1/8 cup of lemon juice. Citrus is a great choice for this formula, because it smells clean and fresh! Remember to label this bottle, and shake well before each use to mix the fragrance.

 

July 2013 NQF & NQS Tips from SCR

National Quality Standards & National Quality Framework  

QA 1.1.6 Each child’s agency is promoted, enabling them to make choices and decisions and influence events and their world.
 
We want children to be confident within their environment and be able to choose activities based on interest. Promoting a child's agency means letting them self select, giving them the wonderful skill of independence is a key quality needed to prepare them not only for school but life as well.

Make sure items are at child height (of course you need to make the environment safe but don’t restrict them too much) so they can select what they want to play with.
Be aware of the age group you are working with – they are capable of much more than we think so let them wash their hands and faces, put their sunscreen on, select foods, dress themselves etc.

Slow down and have realistic expectations! What does it matter if the children take half an hour to put their shoes on?? When you take over you rob them of experiencing the wonderful feeling of achievement and pride that comes with completing a task all by themselves.

The children will let you know usually with a rather big tantrum if you are not promoting their sense of agency!!

 

Quality Area 1.1.5 Every child is supported to participate in the program.  

This ties in well with our EYLF Tuesday tip! By providing activities that encourage a child’s sense of agency we support them to participate in the program. Provide an environment in which children can be curious, ask questions, extend their learning and feel as though they BELONG!

Some handy hints:

• Within the older groups – ask the children what they want do for the day. Encourage this by asking ‘is there anything else you need?’ ‘Can some of your friends help you with this?’ ‘Have we got the resources you need?’ etc. Within the younger groups provide a range of activities and resources that the children can naturally select based on their interest. If you have had some family involvement make sure that has been incorporated into the program as well.

•   Belonging displays assist in making the child feel as though they are supported and nurtured.

• When documenting – be sure to include each child – have you spoken to each child today? Have you observed every child interacting within their environment and with their peers? Have you given some of your time to each child?

In the end it is not what we provide for children but the time we have given them that they remember!

 

 

July 2013 EYLF Tips from SCR

Early Years Learning Framework

Learning Outcome 1.2 Children develop their emerging autonomy, inter-dependence, resilience and sense of agency.

So what does this look like in a childcare setting? Our aim is to have engaged, confident learners within our rooms and we do this in many ways, one of which is allowing children to explore, learn boundaries, make friends, be independent and BELONG!

We used to call this ‘self-help’ skills but know we realise how much more is involved in this. Children need to know they can make decisions for themselves, this is how they learn what is right, wrong, safe or dangerous. Of course the children’s safety is our priority but be aware of how many opportunities you are providing for children within their day.

Confident learners need areas to explore, an environment that evokes curiosity and a supportive Educator encouraging them along the way!

 

Learning Outcome 1.3: Children develop knowledgeable and confident self identities.

When children have opportunities to be heard and their opinion is listened to and valued they become confident learners. Our aim is to ensure that when children go off to school they are confident enough to question, reason, listen and learn and if they are aware of who they and they believe in themselves this will happen.

We need to treat children with the respect and love they deserve. Praise them often, listen well and use your intentional teaching techniques to ensure they develop positive self concepts.